O.A.R. Reflects on 30 Years as a Band, Playing Pearl Jam for Their 8th Grade Talent Show and a New Single (Exclusive)

What started out as a group of friends who got together to play in their eighth grade talent show has become the multiplatinum rock band O.A.R. — and they’re celebrating their 30th anniversary in a big way.

In 2026, the ’90s rock band from Rockville, Md., will mark 30 years as a band with the Three Decades Tour. Speaking with PEOPLE ahead of the Oct. 30 announcement, the “Love and Memories” performers reflected on their journey.

“We all started out as friends and it started out as us just wanting to be a band to play in the eighth grade talent show,” Richard On tells PEOPLE.

“We’ve been together so long relative to how long we’ve been on this planet that all the natural phases that our lives are going through, we’re going through simultaneously,” Marc Roberge continues. “We’re climbing these mountains together and we’re accomplishing all our greatest feats together. We’re there for each other the whole way. So I don’t know if I’d rather it be any other way. I mean, if I could draw it up from day one, this is how it would go.”

For that eighth grade talent show, the band performed “Porch” by Pearl Jam — and Roberge, 47, says they learned how to perform by “copying them.” Now, 30 years later, the “Shattered” hitmakers want to celebrate the fans that have stuck with them along the way.

“We’ll be out there playing all of the songs that O.A.R. fans know and love throughout the decades. And then we’ve also been working really hard in the studio for new material as well,” Jerry DePizzo says. “So while we’re going to be reaching for what we’ve done in the past and celebrating that stuff, we always have our eyes towards the future.”

In addition to the tour announcement, the band released a brand-new single titled “Where We Are Now” — and it captures the nostalgia the band is experiencing as their anniversary approaches. They wrote the song a few years back but the timing didn’t feel right — until now.

“It essentially is a discussion about, ‘I started out with a house, I ended up with a town.’ You’re really saying, ‘Look, I thought I was going alone in this life.’ You realize you’re never alone. And all these people that raise you up and they bring you to where you need to be, that’s your town,” Roberge says. “Hopefully you can be that good neighbor for somebody else… This song is a reminder of that, and I’m so glad we were able to wrap it up just in time for this tour.”

As the band gears up for the tour, which will kick off on June 19 in Vail, Colo., they’re mainly focused on being “healthier” to put on the best show possible.

“We hold ourselves to a really high standard,” Chris Culos says. “And the other huge thing is that we all have families and kids at home. The way we tour really matters. We really put an emphasis on looking at how we can best execute in every way… It all just kind of lined up because we take a look at the long-term.”

In between touring and recording music, the band still finds time to have some fun and kick back as friends.

“It can’t be all work and no play,” DePizzo says. “But golf’s a fun one to kind of get out there, get outside, see the community at which you’re playing in and things, go see some folks, get some fresh air and then be back in time for sound check to give everybody a great show.”

They also love going to sports events together because they have a “deep respect for professional athletes and what they do.”

“Just like if you were to ask any of them, they’re probably interested in musicians and what they do. It’s a very interesting relationship,” Roberge says. “So we chased that down. We’ve got midlife crisis sports leagues on speed dial.”

Tickets for the Three Decades Tour go on sale starting Friday, Nov. 7 at 10 a.m. local time. For more information, visit LiveOAR.com/Tour.